Thursday, January 5, 2012

why i'm not voting...

i've decided i'm not voting this time around, or possibly ever. here's why:

1)Politics is a distractioni think this is almost analogous to the issue of tokenism. tokenism (also known as integration in the US) is something that was done to get our minds away from the highly racialized (amongst others) hierarchy that exists in this country. if they appease us on some small, cosmetic level, we will cease to think about all the issues and the depth of the issues.similarly, politics is done for the purpose of getting our minds off the perpetual problems our society and others like it produce, encourage, and maintain. for example, the idea of democracy is one that does not exist in this country. we have raided and raped other nations under the guise of delivering democracy to their doorsteps. yet, we have the Electoral College that can override the majority rule with whomever they wish. not to mention the absurd obstacles presidential candidates have to overcome in order to even have their name placed on the ballot. monetary fees, petitions, media coverage, and other limitations make it so this can never fully be a democracy. not to mention the way in which the media (more and likely backed by the government) spotlights two main candidates making it so that we always have to choose between a democrat and a republican. how is this democracy if i only have two choices and someone chooses them for me?everyone in this country feels or has felt as though they were choosing the lesser of two evils and i'm over that. it is a waste of time and a distraction, at best. there are millions of dollars spent every four years, and the years leading up to these presidential races, for what? us to get someone whose going to do what the last shitty president did before him?democrat or republican, they've all come from the same steaming pile of corruption.

as opposed to this country spending millions of dollars, time, and energy to understanding and expelling racism, sexism, LGBTQ issues, classism, the problems with our modes of subsistence, and food production...we're spending time of cosmetic issues such as how many democrats are in the house or if the republicans will put up a strong candidate against Obama. it is a distraction and nothing more.

2) Democrat=Republican=Independent=Libertariannone of these parties are particularly different. they all have the same core values and you can rest assured that no one they put into presidency will truly have any power to change anything. four or five laws and a removal of troops from some country we should have never been in means nothing when we have thousands of issues and a system doomed from the get go.last election, i was rooting for Dennis Kucinich (although i voted for Obama). he had a number of positions i still respect even now. however, i know that even he cannot impact the system that much because he is not genuinely in control. he is a token, again, to keep your mind off those behind him who certainly hold much more power than he ever could.

3) I'm over this 'Vote or Die' shit. i can complain and will complain about the system until it changes. this remark i've heard too many times against those that choose not to vote - "you can't criticize the president if you don't vote" - is hogwash. being a citizen of this country, (or even of the world, considering the monetary power and position the US holds on a global level) and being effected by the decisions made by this country legitimates my opinion. as a citizen of the world, we all have a say in the American government. when the US bombs Libya and Yemen without regard, without a "demoratic" vote, without any consideration for borders and a nation's sovereignty, we all have to criticize the government whether or not we pay taxes, and whether or not we have voted.

4) so that when Black folks that love Obama tell me "that's a vote for Obama lost! why aren't you voting?" i can give them all the reasons i'm not voting for him and why his color has shown to be more of a crutch than a place of solidarity.

5)because i'm focusing on social issues. dealing with and changing social issues are what will truly change this country and our system. once that is in place, the whole concept of "politics" and "politicians" will be arbitrary.